At last measure, food waste contributed 28 percent of the total 251 million tons of trash that ended up in landfills, the Environmental Protection Agency reports. Food waste reduction equipment that produces a compostable end product can help hedge the output. Here’s how they work:
- Food scraps are placed in the machine and pulverized in a grind chamber.
- The ground scraps are sent to the machine’s dewatering unit, which separates solids and liquids.
- Solid scraps move to a dehydrator, where remaining moisture is evaporated.
Earlier iterations of the equipment weren’t always a hit because the machine could jam if nonfood items ended up in the food pile. Also, the process was loud and sometimes smelly, some operators say. At least one of the latest models claims to be able to digest soft plastics. It also uses a low-vibration grinder to reduce noise and has a setup option that can reduce both sound and odors.